Plumbum Met and CIDP

August 16, 2009 by Jenifer-Maver Chronic Inflammatory Poly Neuropathy Disease can be defined as an acquired neuropathy. It has been considered to be of immunological origin. Its clinical presentation and progression is extremely variable. Classic CIDP is characterized by symmetric proximal and distal weakness and loss of sensation. However this can also vary significantly whereby purely motor and/ or sensory [...]
Chronic Inflammatory Poly Neuropathy Disease can be defined as an acquired neuropathy. It has been considered to be of immunological origin. Its clinical presentation and progression is extremely variable. Classic CIDP is characterized by symmetric proximal and distal weakness and loss of sensation. However this can also vary significantly whereby purely motor and or sensory involvement can occur. There are many variants which can be pathological, temporal or disease associated. Typical cases associate progressive or relapsing-remitting motor and sensory deficit with increased CSF protein content and electrophysiological features of demyelination. Axon loss associated with demyelination is the most important factor of disability.

Presenting symptoms:

Female 62 years of age presents with a progressive loss of sensation that began in her toes and is progressively moving upwards. She first noticed the symptoms when she suffered from multiple broken toes in a short period of 2 years. Patient described the symptom as 'not feeling where her feet ended' and as a consequence kept walking into things and suffering from injuries to the toes on multiple occasions.

The following is an excerpt of her symptoms in her own words:

"My feet are completely numb. I can wiggle my toes by telling my brain but I cannot feel them doing so. I can see that they are responding but I have lost the sensation of this. It is an unnerving feeling. My feet feel warm to touch but I am mindful that I wear warm socks because I am worried that because I cannot tell if my feet are cold that I will get chilblains. I first started noticing this about 2 years ago when I was in bed. I like to rub my feet together at night because I like the sensation and I progressively started to lose the feeling. Then I broke toe after toe (on both feet, multiple toes). It was definitely worse on the left side to begin with but now I would say that both feet are just as bad as the other. I have to be very careful to check the bath water with my hands before I step into it otherwise, I would scald my feet."

She describes the situation as "numbness". It began with a tingling sensation but has now progressed to heaviness. She states that her feet 'feel like lead.' When she attempts to jump, she cannot gain enough lift from the ground. 'I cannot spring. I have lost the spring in my step.'She also describes a loss of coordination that is locomotor and often 'awkward' causing her to stumble and frequently stagger.
Patient suffered a grand mal at age of 13 years, after a sexual experience that brought on her first menses within a few hours. She states that this was a tumultuous time in her life as she received a big shock from her first menstrual period, believing that she would die as she did not know what it was and she had been hyper stimulated by the experience. The rubric Convulsions, epileptic from fright would be useful if treatment proceeded or convulsions, menses aggravates, or even convulsions, masturbation, after.

Shingles, severe, repeated bouts throughout adulthood, last episode 3 years ago.

After comprehensive case taking the patient also relates some short term memory loss and occasional bouts of confusion.

Continue to Homepathic Treatment of CIDP IN TWO WEEKS